A young woman whose weekly expenses left her with just $100 has declared she ‘hates her life’ as millions of Australians battle a cost-of-living crisis.
Ashleigh Ohlsen, 27, was left with the measly amount just hours after she was paid her weekly salary from her job in the fashion industry.
‘I got paid last night at 6pm,’ she said.
‘I paid a fine off. I paid my portion of the rent. I paid for groceries, and what else have I paid for? That’s literally it.
‘My paycheck is gone. It’s f***ing gone. I’ve got like $100 to last me a week.’
Letting out a comedic yell of frustration, she quipped: ‘I hate my life’.
Her woes struck a chord with dozens of Aussies, who shared their own bank balances in the comments.
‘How good is being an adult in Australia,’ one person said.
A young woman (pictured) whose weekly expenses left her with just $100 has declared she ‘hates her life’ as millions of Australians battle a cost-of-living crisis
‘I HATE this for you but my god, THANK YOU for making me feel not alone to be scraping paycheck to paycheck,’ a second said.
A third wrote: ‘There’s honestly so many of us out there.
‘This IS actually normal – I mean in terms of everybody living this way not that we should normalise not having enough to live in this economy.’
A fourth said: ‘I have $105 to last eight days, family of three plus a cat. We’re all just trying to survive.’
‘Girl I’ve got $70 to last me till next Tuesday,’ a fifth wrote.
But not everyone was sympathetic, with some suggesting Ms Ohlsen be more appreciative of her circumstances.
‘Life is tough at the moment. You have a roof over your head, and you have food. You’re richer than you think,’ one said.
‘So what you’re saying is you have a roof over your head, food to eat, looks like you have your own car or access to a car,’ a second wrote.
Ashleigh Ohlsen, 27, was left with the measly amount just hours after she was paid her weekly salary from her job in the fashion industry
‘You’re doing great in the scheme of things.’
A third wrote: ‘”Paid a fine off” easy expense to have avoided lowkey’.
A full-time worker on minimum wage has just $33 left after paying for rent, food, and transport, according to the Anglicare Cost of Living Index for 2025.
A single parent on minimum wage has just $1 left, even with government assistance, the March report found.
A two-parent family with two kids has only $5 remaining each week.
The report also found that 64 per cent of Australians believe the cost-of-living crisis will worsen over the next 12 months.
Up to 61 per cent of respondents receiving food or financial assistance said housing affordability is severely impacting their daily lives.
